Oil burner



Feb. 8, 1938. Tl H, SMOOT 2,107,452

OIL BURNER Filed May 17, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet l Thcophlus mool T. H, SMOOT Feb. 8, 1938.

OIL BURNER Filed May 17, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 KIMMMJ Feb. 8, 1938. T HP SMOOT 2,107,452

OIL BURNER Filed May 17, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Feb. 8, 1938. v T. H. sMooT 2,107,452

OIL BURNER l Filed May 17, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb. s, `1,938. T, H, SMQOT 2,107,452

OIL BURNER Filed May 17, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ,Patented Feb. '8, 193s PATENT oi-FICE om BURNER Theophilus H. Smoot, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Anchor Post Fence Company, Baltimore, Md., a corporation of Maryland Application May 17, 1934, Serial No. 726,139

16 Claims.

The invention relates to an oil burning arrangement and associated hearth parts particularly adapted for use in the creating of heat within the combustion chambers of internally 5 fired heaters and to the supplying of heat thus created to the parts defining the chambers. More particularly the invention relates to such heaters as are employed for house, apartment, or institutional use, and which ordinarily rely upon l natural stack draft or chimney suction for drawing air into the heaters and for conducting away the products oi' combustion. The heaters to which this invention is applicable include the sc-called air furnace as Well as those known as 15 steam, vapor and hot water heaters.

The invention is particularly applicable for employment where such furnaces or heaters are converted from coal burners to oil burners as wellas in furnaces and heaters especially de- 20 signed for the use of oil as a fuel.

According to the preferred arrangement for realizing the desired ends there is employed a relatively horizontally extending hearth. 'I'his hearth practically extends the full way across and defines the bottom floor of the combustion chamber of the heater.

Also according to the preferred arrangement there is a centrally located burner having a delivery head rotatable about a vertically extending 30 axis and from which head, as it functions, there is projected oil and air which pass outwardly over the hearth part to the upright wall portions of the firebox or combustion chamber.

The hearth preferably employed is one having 35 parts or members, some of which provide air deflecting faces or surfaces for the outwardly flowing air, some of which provide oil engaging faces or surfaces for the outwardly projected oil spray andstill others of which provide outwardly 40 and upwardly guiding faces or surfaces that are associated with the parts or members providing the air deflecting and oil engaging surfaces.

The arrangement of the parts is such that as the projected oil approaches the outer portions d of the combustion chamber there is effected during normal operation certain physical changes in the oil according towhich the oil is converted from liquid into vaporized form, that the out- Wardly flowing air is deflected and directed into 50 the oil vapors producing a mixture thereof, that there is an outward flow of air and vapor mixture under conditions that produce an intimate mixing of the air and cil vapors and that the resulting intimately mixed air and oil vapors are drected into a combustion space which is beyond the place where the oil vaporization and mixing takes place, to Wit, in a space which is outside and above the parts that provide the oil engaging surface and the parts that provide the upwardly and outwardly extending guiding surfaces. The so-called combustion space Iis located in the outer portion of the combustion chamber as defined by the upright wall of the heater. During normal operation a ame is maintained which has its inception in this combustion zone 1g and the flame rises along the' walls of the heater as the combustion progresses.

The invention according to an important aspect thereof relates to the employment in or with a hearth of a peripheral air and oil vapor controlling means constructed and arranged so as to insure thecatching or trapping of oil vapors and so as to guide them to a mixing and combustion space which is outwardly beyond the place where the main portion of the oil is vaporized. The air and oil vapor controlling means is arranged so as to catch and outwardly direct the oil vapors and substantially all of the air required for combustion to the mixing and preliminary zone which is just beyond the guiding and controlling means. lThe present invention provides a mode of firing different from that of any oil burning furnace heretofore employed and there is realized a resulting flame having characteristics quite different from the flame characteristics of furnaces as heretofore constructed.

The present invention relates to the structural characteristics and arrangement of the parts of the air and oil vapor controlling means and also to the method of burning oil by the supplying of air thereto in the particular manner from a centrally located head adapted to centrifugally project the oil against avaporizing surface Where the liquid oil is converted into vapor and is intimately mixed with the air necessary to entirely or substantially complete combustion. By the present method theair and oil vapor thus intimately mixed is conducted to the combustion zone where a peripheral ring of fiame is maintained and from which the air, fuel and flame stream rises While the complete combustion of the fuel takes place.

Oil burning equipment has heretofore been employed wherein oil has been eentrifugally projected from a centrally located revolving head against a hot oil vaporizing surface and into this vaporized oil air from the rotating head has been delivered. In some of these installations attempts have been made to employ deflecting faces but in such prior installations there is a tend- `and air to these structures.

ency for the ame to be maintained at the inside Aof the deflecting faces and in any event, there is a tendency for such a flame to embody a blue base because of the rich mixture in the zone where combustion initially takes place.

In such prior designs these structures have not been truly deflecting faces inasmuch as 'they are constructed with rectangular or circular openings through them which permit the oilvapors and gases to pass through these openings and maintain substantially the same direction of travel through these structures and beyond these structures as the direction of approach of these vapors It is evident therefore that these prior designs do not change or alter the direction of travel of the vapors and air but rather are imposed along the path of travel, first, so that in passing through the apertures in these structures the stratification is somewhat reduced and, secondary, to constitute high temperature points in the combustion zone which will through their high temperature maintain combustion at a xed point in spite of lack of complete mixture.

'I'he deector structure referred to in this application, however, does not have apertures of any description in it but rather is a solid shelf which will allow nothing to pass through it and therefore the vapors and air must change their direction in order to continue their travel. It is this change in direction that produces the intimate mixture between the oil vapors. This deecting face may be truly referred to as an air guide because it is only the air that approaches this deflector with any velocity or force. Vapors in the air at this point are vapors induced into the air stream .by the iiow of part of the air over the face of the structure below that which is giving off oil vapors.

It is of no consequence whether my deflector operates hot or cold inasmuch as it is purely a face to deflect air into intimate mixtures with the gases or oil vapors.

Prior designs of such a superimposed structure as my guide or deiiector place the member at approximately ninety degrees to the flow of air and oil vapors. My deecting face however is located at an entirely different angle so as not only to guide the air into mixture with the oil vapors but to guide the resulting mixture against the surface to be heated.

With these and otherobjects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a heater provided with an oil burning'arrangement and associated hearth parts constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, the oil burning arrangement and associated hearth parts being shown in plan view.

Fig. 3-is an enlarged detail horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlargeddetail vertical sectional y view on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

sections of the .base of the air and oil vapor controlling means. i

Fig. 6 is a similar view of one of the sections of the radially inclined marginal deilector viewed Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on y the line 8 8 of Fig. 7. 1

Fig. 9 is an enlarged horizontal sectional'view on the Aline 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig.' 10 is a perspective view of a section of the base of the air and oil vapor controlling means shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 11 is a detail perspective view of one of the sections of the radiallyinclined deflector shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 12 is a detailed perspective View of a section of the marginal portion .of a rectangular marginal portion of a hearth structure.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, of the drawings. I designates a heater of any desired construction having vertically extending metallic water containing wall portions 2 which provide the vertical wall of a circular, combustion chamber 3. .The heater is also provided with water vcontaining portions 4 forming the side walls of the combustion chamber. 'I'he heater, however, has the usual openings 5 which lead through passageways 6 to any suitable draft chimney or stack means. 'I'he furnace is also provided' with any suitable opening 9 normally closed by a door Ill which permits access to the interior of the combustion chamber, for inspection or repair purposes.

At the bottom of the heater there is located a substantially horizontal hearth il of refractory material having a centrally located oil burner 1' having a rotating head 8 and preferably constructed as shown, described and claimed in my co-pending application led on or about the 25th day of April, 1934, Serial No. 722,381.

The hearth Il is provided at its outer portion with a marginal hearth member including air and oil vapor controlling and guiding means comprising a lower base I3 and an upper upwardly and outwardly inclined deflector i4 located above and in spaced relation with the base I3 and supported by legs i9.

While the combustion chamber is shown circular in cross section, it will be manifest that the invention is equally applicable not only to a rebox which may be circular in cross section but to those having other shapes, as for example, one having the ordinary rectangular or square cross section.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, of the drawings, the air and oil vapor controlling and guiding means comprises a re brick structure which is arranged upon the hearth of which it may be considered as constituting a part. In other words, it is arranged at the outer marginal edges of the hearth and near the walls of the heater that define the combustion chamber. The lower portion or base of the fire brick structure is preferably made up of curved sections, which when assembled, provide an upwardly extending rim having an upper upstanding oil striking face or portion i5 and a, lower upstanding air deilecting face or portion i6. The oil striking face l5 is outwardly located as compared with the air deflecting face i6.

'I'he rotating head of the burner, as explained inthe aforesaid application, is constructed so that as it-rotates it projects oil centrifugally in the form of a spray in a relatively horizontal path and in a manner whereby it finally strikes the upstanding base I5. and when the face Il is hot as it normally is as the apparatus functions, this oil is immediately vaporized and the vapors tend to rise.

The rotation of the head also causes air to 'be delivered and directed outwardly across the intermediate portions of the hearth and thence against the air defiecting'face Il with the result that most, if not all of the air is deflected upwardly and outwardly. In` the normal functioning of the-oil burning installation the hearth II which is of refractory material, or relatively refractory material, is sufliciently hot to eifect a heating to a certain extent of the air flowing outwardly across it and a stratum of air extends over the hearth in the spacebetween the outwardly traveling oil spray and the hearth II. This outward iow of air tends to cool the hearth and so maintain the same as the apparatus functions. f

The upper radially inclined deiiector Il which forms air vand oil vapor guiding means is composed of curved or arcuate sections in the circular form of the invention and constitutes a radially or laterally inclined ring and presents a lower annular inclined guiding face I8 which extends upwardly and outwardly radially of the hearth. The air and oil vapor guiding and controlling deiiector I 4 is located above the peripheral rim forming base and in spaced relation with the same and is'located over the oil striking and air deiiecting faces I5 and I6 and is spaced hereinafter fully explained.

The upper deecting ring is supported at intervals by legs I9, the legs being preferably formed integral with each of the sections of the deilecting ring. The legs I9, asclearly illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, are set at an angle to the radial line intersecting the section of the marginal dei-lector and provided at their lower ends with enlargements or feet 20 preferably rectangular in horizontal section and tapered downwardly and removably fitted in tapering sockets 2| formed in the upper face of the base member I3 in rear of theoil striking face I5.

By this construction the sections of the radially inclined upper marginal deflector are removable and may be readily assembled, removed and replaced should the same be required. The supporting leg I9 is inclined and extends upwardly and inwardly and its arrangement at an angle to the intersecting radius of the deector lends itself to the swirling action imparted to the air and oil vapor hereinafter fully explained, and oiers a minimum amount of resistance to such movement of the air and oil vapor but the supporting leg may be arranged in any other desired position and may be varied in structure, as will be apparent from the leg structure employed in the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 7 to 11 inclusive. The legs I9 are inclined upwardly and inwardly and the oil striking face I5 is arranged at a slight inclination for the major portion of its height and is provided adjacent its upper edge with a vertical portion 22. The major I portion of the oil striking face extends upwardly v and inwardly while the lower air deilecting face I has a slight inclination outwardly and upwardly being preferably arranged at a slight angle to the vertical. The side or lateral faces of the angularly disposed legs are arranged so that they extend outwardly in the same direction that the head rotates so as to assist in producing the spiral motion of the air and oil and the resulting rising flame and which spiral motion is originated because oi' the revolving of the head.

- This spiral motion continues to and into the cornbustion-space and more particularly to the mixing and ignition portion of the combustion space which is located Just beyond the radially inclined marginal deiiector.

The arrangement of the controlling and guiding defiector I4 is such that it entraps the oil vapors and most if not all of the air which is deflected upwardly whereby there follows an intimate, uniform and homogeneous mixing of the air and oil vapor as the mixture is directed outwardly into the combustion space which is between the walls of the heater and the member I4. During this outward movement due to the angular arrangement of the lateral faces of the legs there is furthered the swirling movement of the air and oil vapors. During the initial functioning the flame starts, or is initiated in the ignition space comprising the groove between faces I and I6 and progresses to the combustion space which is exteriorly located with respect to the radially inclined peripheral guiding and deilecting member and combustion is completed as the iiame rises due to the air already therein.

By this method of burning the combustion is completed in relatively low portions of the combustion chamber. Any suitable means such as is indicated at 23 may be employed for the original ignition of the fuel and air when the burning equipment is started up. The igniter 23 is shown as electrical and located in the groove and provides a spark gap 23a. In practice one of the sections of the base member will be provided with the igniter 23 to facilitate the starting operation In the operation of the device the rotating head 8` delivers oil above the air or in the upper stream of air and the oil and air are continuously projected circumferentially in a horizontal plane above the hearth of refractory material and against the upstanding faces of the base member I3. Tle oil is deivered in atomized or spray form and travels in an essentially horizontal plane at a distance above the refractory hearth and implnges against the upstanding oil striking face I5 of the base member. The base member is arranged with respect to the rotating head 8 so that the eil will properly pass over the lower upstanding air deflecting surface I6. The lower stratum of the outwardly traveling air tends to strike against the inner .or lower air deiiecting surface I6 in a manner to be deilected upwardly.

The height of the hearth and speed of travel of the oil and air are such that the oil is projected against the oil striking face I5. 'I'he air stream follows a path over the top of the hearth until it strikes the inner air deflecting surface I6 and is thereby caused to mix with the oil discharged against the oil striking face I5.

The ignition means 23 functions to ignite and cause a combustion of the air oil mixture and the heating up of the brick structure begins to take place. The base member is provided between the upper oilv'striking surface and the lower air deectingfsurface with a relatively inner and outer walls 25 and 26 arranged at an inclination; the inclined outer wall merging into the inclined portionsof the oil striking surface {.i'he groove .legis provided so that during the starting :up operation any unvaporized oil that drops from, the striking 'surface I5 can collect and temporarily retained in the groove preparatoryto theE-iinal vaporization which must ultimately take' place.

The oil and vapor thus collected in the groove 24 are protected by the deep groove and the walls thereof and are prevented from being swept.,

out of the groove by the air contacting with the lower inner defieoting face I6. The groove cross sectionally is arranged at an inclination and extends downwardly and outwardly and has a curved bottom portion which is not air swept and the collected oil is permittedto completely vaporize and burns locally because oi the air continuously supplied thereover with the result that the inner surface of the base member becomes locally heated and the apparatus as a whole is gradually brought up to proper condition for its normal continuous functioning.

Immediately upon the starting of the combustion process all of the oil which is splashing against the striking face I5 ofthe base member does not enter into the combustion. process as the oil before entering into combustion must be vaporized, gasiiied and raised above its fire point temperature and mixed with air. In order to produce the gasification ofthe oil, heat is required and this heat must be supplied to act on the oil in the zone where it is splashing against the striking face I5.

The base member must therefore store up heat and have its temperature raised to such an extent that it can transfer the heat immediately to the oil as the latter contacts with the base member. During the time required for the attaining of the temperature by the base member the surplus oil which is not gasied runs down the face I5 and collects in the groove 24. The re 'which contacts with the oil striking face I5 is termed a ring re because it burns in the oil collecting groove or ring. The ring re is a yelio-w radial flame re and is in no sense a blue gaseous fire. In order for a fire to be blue it is necessary that the air for combustion and the combustible fuel, be in a gaseous or super-heated vaporous form to give intimacy of mixture before combustion takes place. The blue flame characteristics require a premixture of an essentially gaseous fuelwith the air for combustion before combustion begins. 'I'he ring re is a yeliow radiant flre because there is no premixture of air and oil and combustion takes place at the point of mixture and the flame is sustained by the fuel progressively finding air as the combustion process is continued.

-If a normal fire is adjusted, that is, if'the volume of air is reasonably'well proportioned to the amount of oil delivered from the burner in atomized form the striking face I5 of the base member will after' a few minutes of a rering condition, attain a suiiiciently high temperature to vaporze or gasifyimmediately the oil spray 'as it strikes the face I5. When this condition of instantaneous vaporization andV gasification vstriking face i5.are filled witn oil vapors and gases.

When the ring rire starts irmnediateiy after ignition the air volume is excessive as com- ,paredv with the amount of oil being vaporized because of the relatively low temperature of the striking face I5of the base member which does not vaporize ml of the-oil; The face temperature under the fire, and the amount of oil vaporized l and gasifled increases While the amount of air remains constant. The mixture in the ring fire is therefore constantly becoming richer. As it approaches the condition of vapori-ration and gasification from contact with the striking face I5 the mixture becomes so rich that there is such an insufficiency of air that combustion is not sustained. This condition takes place in spite of there being delivered the proper amount of air to supply oxygen for properly burning the oil at the'rate at which it is being delivered.

Wien the temperature of the striking face I5 becomes sufficient to vaporize immediately the oil spray as it strikes the said face I5 the vapors and gases are lifted out of the ring flame zone by the air sweeping over that zone, and they are' carried over the striking face in the course of which travel further mixture of the air with the gases and vapors takes place. This mixture expands over the top of the striking face I5 and with the turbulence set up by this expansion further mixing takes place so that at this point a readily combustible mixture exists. This mixture is ignited by the re in an adjacent part of the ring fire zone and combustion is transferred to a point over and in rear of the striking face I5, or in other Words outside and beyond the oil striking face area.

With nre out of contact with the striking face I5 it loses heat and its ability to immediately gasify and Vaporze the oil spray as it strii:es,is reduced. A less rich mixture therefore begins to exist in the ring flame zone and soon a. combustible mixture again exists. When this condition is reached the flame is again transferred to the ring flame zone at the oil striking face I5. The face now again increases in temperature and the flame again lists to its position in rear of the striking face. After this up and down condition occurs a few times the back Yportion yof the brick has increased in temperature and can transfer enough heat to the striking face I5 by conduction to maintain the temperature of the oil striking face I5.

When this condition is reached the striking face maintains its rate of vaporization and gasification of the oil and combustion is permanently maintained out of the ring flame zone in rear of and above the upwardly extending oil striking face I5 and outside and beyond the upper radially inclined peripheral defiecting member I4.

The steps which have just been carried out have brought the re brick structure or other material employed in the construction of the device to normal hot conditions for the desired continuous operation. During this period the oil in the form of a spray is continuously directed outwardly against the hot oil striking face I5 where it is vaporized. The air is centrifugally delivered more or less in a sheet form over the hearth of the installation. This air takes on some heat as it passes over the hearth. `In a way it maintains the hearth fairly cool. The air is upwardly directed so that it mixes with the oil vapors thus formed. n fact, the upwardly` deflected air and the oil vapors which are directed by the lower contact iface I6 into the already hot'and continuously maintained hot ignition zone from which the resulting iiames extend upwardly to such a height as to enable combustion to be completed.

The portion of the base member beyond the oil striking face I5 has been referred to as an initial ignition zone because in this zone during the normal functioning the air and oil is initially ignited as they enter therein.v In this zone a peripheral iiame is continuously maintained and when the installation is in continuous operation there results a swirling flame which exists in the zone beyond the upper guiding and deecting member I4 and which is rising along and adjacent to the upright walls defining the combustion chamber of the heater. Relatively all of the air and oil vapors are mixed in the region immediately below the upwardly and outwardly extending radially inclined guiding member while the air and oil vapors are traveling outwardly along more or less of a spiral path to and into the zone where ignition takes place. The flame is of a purplish blue and is relatively short because of the fact that most, if not all, ofthe air for the flame is supplied through the space between the base member and the upper guiding and controlling member. It is preferable that the lower air deflecting face I6 and the upper oil striking face I5 be not vertical but slope at a slight angle with the air deilecting face sloping upwardly and outwardly and the oil striking face sloping upwardly and inwardly and provided with a substantiallyvertical portion at the top thereof as shown.

However, if for manufacture or other reasons it is desired to make these faces vertical this may be done as the upper guiding and controlling member will properly guide the air and the oil vapors whereby the desired resulting intimately mixed air and oil vapors will be realized.

In Figs. I to 11, inclusive, of the drawings is illustrated another form of the invention in which the base member 21 is constructed of refractory material and the radially inclined peripheral upper guiding and controlling member 28 and the supporting legs 29 are constructed of metal. The base member which is composed of segmental or arcuate sections is provided with a lower front air defiecting face 30, an upper oil striking face 3I and an intermediate oil and v'apor receiving groove 32. -The faces 30 and 3I and the oil and vapor receiving groove 32 are constructed substantially the same as heretofore describedv with the exception that in the present form of the invention the oil and vapor receiving groove is provided at intervals with radial webs 33 dividing the groove into a series of curved pockets the said webs 33 constituting the end walls of the pockets which are adapted to eifectually prevent the oil and oil vapors collecting in the groove from being swept out of the groove by the air passing over the base member of the device.

The base member I3 is provided in its outer portion in rear of the oil striking face with a downwardly tapered annular groove 34 having an inclined front wall and a substantially vertical rear wall. vThe front wall is inclined and extends upwardly and inwardly and the rear wall is provided with substantially vertical ribs 35 and intervening grooves 36 which are engaged by vertical arms 3'I extending upwardly from the lower ends of the legs.

I The upper radially inclined air and oil vapor guiding and deiiecting member is composed of separate plates or sections whichare arranged similar to the sections of the upper deector I4 heretofore described and the legs 29 are inclined and are supported by the inclined front wall of the groove 34. The upper portion of the leg 23 is substantially V-shaped in cross section and the lower portion is provided with a central longitudinal lgroove 38 formed by stamping, the metal of which the leg is constructed. This provides a rigid leg and the angularly related sidel portions of the upper part of the leg permit the air and vapor to readily pass a leg. The rear upwardly extending arm which nts against the rear wall 35'of the groove 34 in the base member is longitudinally corrugated to form grooves 39 and a rib 40, the latter being adapted to fit in a groove 36 of the rear wail of the annular groove 34 of the base member while the grooves 39 receive the'ribs 35 adjacent the grooves 36 in the rear wall of said groove 34 in the base I3.

This construction provides for an interlocking connection between the legs and the base member and at the same time provides for a ready positioning of the leg member at any point around the base member. This will enable the sections of the radially inclined deilecting and guiding member 28 to be readily mounted on and removed from the lower base member.

In order to prevent any unvaporized oil from entering the combustion zone such as might result from the oil spray, from the centrally located and rotating burner head, being directed so that a portion strikes above the oil engaging surface I5, laterally extending arms 4I are provided in the path of any such unvaporized oil. This unvaporized oil upon coming in contact with the laterally extending arms 4I is changed to the vaporous form.

The composite structure of brickwork and metal of the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 7 to 11, inclusive, of the drawings provides a light, strong and durable structure adapted to be easily and quickly assembled and the arrangement of the base member and the upper guiding and deiiecting member are substantially the same as the base member and guiding and deiiecting member shown in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, and the operation and functioning of the parts are the same as those heretofore described.

In Fig. 12 of the drawings is illustrated a section 42 of a rectangular base member for use on an oblong or square or other non-circular hearth. The section is constructed substantially the same as that illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings with the exception that the section 42 is straight while the section illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings is curved to form a circular base.

This base section 42 is provided with an air deflecting face 43, an oil striking face 44 and an intervening groove 45. It is provided at the top in rear of the oil striking face 44 with a leg re ceiving socket 46. The straight section 42, as will be readily understood may be of any desired length and the air and oil vapor controlling deiiector will be composed of sections substantially the same as that illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

What is claimed is:-

1. A heater having a combustion chamber, an oil burning equipment comprising a horizontal refractory hearth forming the floor of the combustion chamber and an oil burner having a head centrally located with respect to the hearth and rotating about a vertically extending axis and provided with means for centrifugally delivering oil horizontally and outwardly above the hearth and with means for delivering air outwardly over the hearth to provide and maintain an airstratum below the centrifugally delivered oil, and a fire brick structure arranged upon the hearth and comprising a base .portion having an inner lowerv air detiecting face and an upper oil striking face, and an upper air and oil vapor controlling deflector set at an inclination and extending upwardly and outwardly and supported above and in spaced relation to the base portion, the innern portion of. the detlector overlying the lower inner air defiectlng face of the base portion and pro- J'ecting inwardly past the same.

2. A-heater provided with a combustion chamber, an oil burning equipment comprising a horizontal hearth forming the floor of the combustion chamber and an oil burner having a head centrally located with respect to the hearth and rotating about a vertically extending axis and provided with means for delivering oil in the form of a spray across and above the hearth and with means for directing air over the hearth below the oil spray, and a fire brick structure arranged upon the hearth and including a lower base portionlprovided with a lower air deflecting face and an upper oil striking face located beyond and in spaced relation with the air deiiecting face, said base-portion being provided between the said faces with a relatively deep groove adapted to collect oil andlpreven't the same from being air swept from said deep groove, and an upper radially inclined imperforate air and oil vapor controlling deector located above and in spaced relation to the base portion and supported by the same in spaced relation thereto, said radially inclined deflector overhanging the said groove and extending inwardly past the air deilecting face of the base portion.

3. A heater having a combustion chamber, an oil burning equipment comprising a horizontal hearth ,forming the floor of the combustion chamber and an oil burner having a head cen- Y upper air and oil vapor controlling radially inclined deiiector overhanging the air deecting face and the oil striking face-and provided with supporting legs having heads at their lower ends arranged in the sockets of the base portion.

. 4. A heater provided with a vcombustion chamber, an oil burning equipment comprising a horizontal hearth forming the oor of the combus.

tion chamber and an oil burner havingA a head centrally located with respect to the hearth and rotating about a, vertically extending axis, said head being provided with means for delivering oil in the form of a spray across and above the hearth and with-means for directing ai over 'the hearth below the oil spray and a iire brick structure arranged Vupon the'hearth and including a base vportionprovided with an inner Ylower air deilectingfaceand anupper oi striking face spaced from the fair deecting face, said base portion being provided with a relatively deep oil receiving groove having inclined walls Aextending downwardly andoutwardly vto prevent oil from being air vswept from said deep .groove and an upper radially inclined substantially imperforate air and oil vapor controlling means supported above and in spaced relation to the said base portion and also spaced from the side walls of the combustion chamber and overhanging the said groove and the air deiiecting and oil striking faces;V

5. An oil burner installation including a refractory hearth, a centrally located rotating head having means for centrifugally delivering oil from the periphery of the head and means for directing air over the hearth below the centrifugally delivered oil, and a iire brick structure on said hearth provided Vwith a lower inner upstanding V4air deecting face and having an upper oil striking face located in rear of and spaced from the air deiiecting face, and a radially inclined air and oilvapor controlling deflector overhanging the said faces, said deflector being substantially imperforate for directing the airl and oil vapor outwardly. -Y

6. An oil burning installation including a refractory hearth, a centrally located rotating head having means for centrifugally delivering oil from the periphery of the head over the said hearth and provided with means for directing air over the hearth below the centrifugally delivered oil, and a lire brick structure on said hearth comprising a base `having a lower up- Y Ylocated'back of the' oil deecting facekand an upper radially inclinedY air and oil vapor controlling deilector located above and spaced from the said base and provided with supporting legs fitted in the rear groove of the base.

7. An oil burning installation including a refractory hearth, a centrally located rotating head having means for centrifugally"'delivering oil from the periphery of the head over the said hearth and provided with means for directing air over the hearth below the centrifugally delivered oil, and a. re brick structure on said hearth comprising a base having a lower upstanding air deecting face and provided in rear thereof with an oil defiecting face located above and spaced from the air deflecting face, said base being provided between the said faces with'an oil receiving groove and having a rear groove located back of the oil deiiecting-face, and an upper radially vinclined air and oil vapor controlling dector located above and spaced from the said base and provided with supporting legs fitted in the rear groove of the base, said rear groove and legs having corresponding intertting corrugations interlocking the legs with the base and permitting the mounting of a leg at any point along the groove.

8. An oil burning installation including a refractory hearth, a centrally located rotating head having means to centrifugally deliver oil from the periphery of the head and provided with means for directing air over the hearth below4 the centrifugally delivered oil and a re brick structure on said hearth comprising a base having a lower inner air deflecting face and an upper oil striking face located above and in rear of the air deflecting face, said base being prollvided in .rear of the oil striking face with a groove having downwardly converging walls and provided at one of the walls with corrugations, and an upper radially inclined air and oil vapor controlling deilector provided with legs having angularly disposed arms, the arms and the adjacent portion of the legs fitting the walls of the groove and the arms being provided with corrugations. interfitting the corrugations of the wall of the groove.

9. An oil burning installation including a refractory hearth, a centrally located rotating head having means to centrifugally deliver oil from the periphery of the head and also having means for directing air over the hearth below the centrifugally delivered oil and a fire brick structure on said hearth comprising a base having a lower inner air deflecting face and 'van upper oil striking face located above and in rear of the air deflecting face, said base being provided in rear of the oil striking face with a l groove having downwardly converging walls and provided at one of the walls with corrugations, and an upper radially inclined air and oil vapor controlling deflector composed of a plurality of sections provided with legs extending into the said groove and having corrugated arms tting the corrugated wall of the groove, said legs being also provided with laterally extending arms.

10. A heater having a combustion chamber with surrounding side walls, an oil burning equipment comprising a horizontal refractory hearth forming the floor of the combustion chamber, an oil burner having a head centrally located with respect to the hearth and rotatingabout a vertically extending axis and provided with means for centrifugally delivering oil horizontally and outwardly above the hearth and with means for delivering air outwardly over the hearth to. provide and maintain an air stratum below the centrifugally delivered oil, and a fire brick structure comprising a base having an inner, lower airdeflecting face and an upper outer oil striking face, and a substantially imperforate air and oil vapor controlling deiiector set at an inclination and extending upwardly and outwardly continuously from the inner edge of the base of the re brick structure to the outer edge of the same and supported above and in vspaced relation to the base portion and also ,in spaced relation to the side walls of the combustion chamber to provide an outer unobstructed combustion space between the fire brick structure and the side Walls of the combustion chamber open at the top, said deflector directing all of the air and oil vapor outwardly into the said combustion space so that combustion in the said space will produce an unobstructed ascending flame and prevent back flashing of gases into the space between the base and the defiector.

11. In an oil burning furnace, a marginal fire brick structure comprising a lower base portion provided with an inner lower air deflecting face and an upper oil striking face located beyond and spaced from the air deflecting face, said base portion being provided beyond the oil striking face with sockets, and an upper air and oil vapor deflector extending upwardly and outwardly and overhanging the air deflecting face and the oil striking face and provided with supporting legs detachably tted in the said sockets of the base portion and held against horizontal movement.

12. In combination, a heater having a combustion chamber including side walls, a floor portion and a marginal fire brick structure, the latter having upper and lower reversely inclined faces on its inner side, an oil burner projecting at its upper end through the floor portion of the combustion chamber to a point located within vthe marginal re'brick structure in spaced relation to the latter, the oil burner including means for centrifugally projecting oil in the form I of a spray along a substantially horizontal plane lstructure to effect vaporizatlon of the oil as it strikes said upper inclined face, means for directing air along a horizontally extending path beneath the horizontal plane of' oil travel for contact with the lower inclined face of said marginal fire brick structure to deflect the air upwardly into the oil vapor for admixture therewith, and means having an upwardly and outwardly inclined surface spaced from the fire brick structure above the latter for guiding the mixed oil vapor and air outwardly between the said upwardly and outwardly inclined surface and the fire brick structure to a point beyond the oil vaporizing surface of said fire brick structure, said inclined surface of the guiding means being spaced from the side walls of the combustion chamber to provide a combustion space between the side walls of the combustion chamber and said guiding means, the side walls of the combustion chamber limiting the outward travel of the mixed oil vapor and air and coacting with the inclined surface of the guiding means to positively direct the mixed vapor and air upwardly in an ascending flame in said combustion space.

13. In combination, a heater having a combustion chamber including side walls, a floor portion and a relatively narrow marginal fire brick structure on said floor portion extending around the combustion chamber and having on its inner side an upwardly extending inclined oil striking face and a lower upwardly inclined air deflecting face located below the horizontal plane of the oil striking face, means for directing oil against said upper inclined face of the fire brick structure, means for directing air against the .lower inclined face of the fire brick structure to mix with the oil vapor at said inclined faces, and means spaced above the fire brick structure 1ncluding an upwardly and outwardly inclined imperforate deflector disposed over the re brick structure at the said oil striking face and air deflecting face and spaced from the side walls of the combustion chamber to provide a marginal combustion space surrounding the main combustion chamber in and from which space the gaseous mixture rises in an ascending flame.

14. A heater provided with a combustion chamber having surrounding walls and forming therein a combustion space, an oil burning equipment comprising a horizontal hearth forming the floor of the combustion chamber and an oil burner having a head centrally located with respect to the hearth and provided with means for delivering oil in the form of a spray across and above the hearth and with means for directing air over the hearth below the oil spray and a fire brick structure arranged upon the hearth and including a base member provided with a lower air deflecting face and having an upper oil striking face located in rear of the air deflecting face and having an upwardly and inwardly inclined portion, said base member being provided between the said faces with a relatively deep inclined groove having front and rear inclined walls, the rear inclined Wall merging into the upper radially Vinclined substantially inperforate air and oil vapor controlling deflector supported above and spaced from lthe 'nase member and also spaced from the side walls of the combustion chamber to provide an outer combustion space and overhanging the said faces and the groove. i il 155A relatively narrow substantially annular hearth member` having inner and outer side faces provided at the upper portion of itslfinner side with 'an inclined face vextending upwardly and inwardly for vaporizing oil and at the lower portion of its inner side with an inclined face extending upwardly and outwardly for deflecting a current of air` into oilvaporized by the upper inclined face, said. faces being spaced apart and said hearth member having a continuous groove between said faces and provided between its outer side and said upper inclined:Y face with spaced sockets, andan imperforate' deecting means including interchangeable abutting sctions, each section having a ieg removably fitted in the respective sockets of said annular member.

16. A heater comprising a; combustion chamber having substantially vertical side walls, and an oil burning equipment located in the combustion chamber and including means for continuously projecting oil along a substantially horizontally extending plane, means having an oil vaporizing surface located in the path of the garojected oil to receive the same and yaporize the oil striking against it, means for continuously delivering air along a horizontally extending plane beneath theprojected oil, means located in the path of theprojected air for causing the same to berdeected upwardly into the vaporized oil to cause a mixing of theair and vaporized oil, meansrfor guiding all of the mixed oil and air outwardly to a point beyond the oil vaporizing means to the side walls of the combustion chamber, said guiding means and the side walls of the combustion chamber being spacedapart and directing the oil vapor and air mixed therewith upwardly to produce in combustion an ascending'ame. I

Y THEOPHILUS H. SMOOT. 

